Does Kodagu need to push Elephant camp tourism inside designated Tiger Reserves?

A recent press release from the President of Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS) states with an earnest concern for wildlife and ecology, the proposal of an elephant camp at Nagrahole Tiger Reserve, Thitimathi, Mathigod, to be opened up for tourists is unprecedented and an opinionated decision form Karnataka Forest Department and decision makers. 

The release also states that Karnataka Forest department should foremost know their limitations and work on issues that are conducive for the wellbeing of protecting a Tiger Reserve. 

Converting a Tiger Reserve into a tourism hub is nothing but a blow to protect a Wildlife Reserve and a willful act of detrimental towards conservation. 

On one hand the Forest department is fighting tooth and nail to stop all commercial activities outside the boundaries of the forest, but are willfully engaging into commercial actives inside a Tiger Reserve, is appalling and unacceptable. 

Growing commercial activities like small hydel projects, resorts and homestays, in and around Protected Areas (PA) have become a source of concern and MoEF issued (February 2011) guidelines for declaration of Buffer Zones and eco-sensitive zones around PAs to minimize the ecological damage from such developmental activities are already in place. 

Tiger Reserves has a clear mandate of its functionaries and human activities are strictly prohibited. The international Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its World Commission on Protected Areas has defined national park as its Category II type of protected areas.

NTCA guidelines directs on load bearing of traffic and human activities inside a Tiger Reserve and this cannot be overlooked or sidelined. 

Kodagu is already reeling under tremendous pressure from excess tourists foofall and it has already becoming over crowed, and added tourism inside a protected reserve could be disastrous and damaging for ecology on the whole. 

This proposal has to be seriously reconsidered stopped immediately stated the release. 

Coorg Wildlife Society.